Expert by Experience Workshops with Charley Poultney

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Charley's Success Story:

Charley's journey with us began in mid-2022 when she moved into Cavan Court after spending 3.5 years in hospital recovering from anorexia and an eating disorder. From the start, Charley demonstrated a remarkable ability to turn her lived experiences into something meaningful, not just for herself but for others too.

While settling in, Charley noticed a gap in the staff’s understanding of eating disorders and brought this to Anabel’s (Service Manager) attention, asking if there was any in-depth training in place. When the answer was no, Charley stepped forward and volunteered to create and deliver her own workshops on the subject. This became the foundation of her Expert by Experience training.

Workshops That Make a Difference

Charley’s first workshop focused on eating disorders, drawing on her personal experiences and insights. Encouraged by the positive response, she went on to create and deliver additional workshops covering borderline personality disorders, self-harm and suicide, and grief and bereavement, with the latter soon to be released.

Her workshops quickly gained recognition for their impact and authenticity, and as Charley puts it: “Putting on these workshops gives me purpose.” Her ability to connect with people and teach from her experiences has not only made training more memorable for staff, but also led to lasting changes within the company.

Beyond Training: Policies, Expansion, and Recognition

Charley’s contributions extend beyond workshops. She has worked alongside Krissie (Area Manager) to write and publish company policies, making a tangible difference in how services are delivered across the company. Her expertise has taken her to multiple sites, delivering workshops at Arden House, Melville House, Cavan Court, Watford Way, Ocean House, and plans to expand to Dunstable. Staff from other locations have also attended her workshops, underscoring their wide-reaching value.

Charley’s work has even branched out beyond our organisation. She has begun delivering training sessions in Norfolk (the local authority that fund her placement) and is set to provide workshops at the eating disorder unit of her former hospital. These opportunities arose as a direct result of the skills and experience she gained through providing her workshops at our sites. 

Krissie, who has been instrumental in supporting Charley’s journey describes her as “fantastic at delivering these workshops.” Together, they are now working on a co-production forum to enhance the services we provide.

Shaping the Future

Charley’s vision goes beyond training staff. She is helping to develop a framework for regular client feedback meetings at various sites. These meetings aim to explore what works well, identify areas for improvement and ensure clients’ voices shape the services they receive. Charley is also keen to empower others, suggesting that clients with specific expertise could be supported to deliver their own training sessions.

Charley’s approach is rooted in the belief that “people learn from people”. She emphasises the value of interactive learning and the long-lasting impact of training delivered by someone with lived experience; compared to passive online learning.

A Bright Future

Currently pursuing a master’s degree in genetics, Charley is deciding between continuing in her academic field or further developing her passion for co-production. She is already collaborating with the NHS Trust, reviewing services monthly, and has applied to join the North London Governor Board for the NHS Trust.

Charley is also hoping to take steps to establish her own consultancy business, allowing her to continue delivering impactful workshops while being recognised for her expertise.

Charley’s journey from Cavan Court to becoming an advocate, trainer and one day a consultant, is nothing short of inspiring. Charley’s work has transformed how we approach training and co-production, leaving a lasting impact on our company and the wider community.